IDENTIFICATION AND MODELING THE LANDSCAPE VALUES WITHIN THE LANDSCAPE PLANNING

The basic rationale for the research was the lack of landscape planning approaches within the spatial planning process in Croatia. The most important deficiency addressed in this research was an integral inclusion of the public opinion and their values into the planning process. Dealing with the conflicts which may arise from it represents one of the activities that are taken into account within landscape planning. Shortage of an integrated approach to landscape planning in Croatia causes conflicts between different social groups but also the lack of their integrated inclusion in decision making process. So, the aim of this research was to determine the modes for externalization of spatial attributes and to create the spatial evaluation models based on the criteria resulting from the statements of the different social groups. The results were implemented into the evaluation procedure through the modelling of perception of natural qualities and landscape potential for the development. GIS applications were used for modelling and graphical preparation of evaluation maps. Weighting of the data was used for the validation of the findings derived from qualitative research. Assigning the weights to data in this research was carried out using the AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) method. The research pointed out that a transformation of the public opinion, whether it is expert or lay public, into the evaluation models which can be cartographically represented and implemented into the modelling of landscape values and so included into the spatial planning procedure, is very important step forward to the sustainable spatial development. Such optimized decisions which harmonize three major pillars (protection, development and social requirements) can be considered as a prerequisite for achieving sustainable spatial development.